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When to let your baby cry it out

When can you let your baby cry it out?

No one likes hearing a baby cry, especially when it’s been continuous. For many parents, a big question is if there is an appropriate time to let your baby cry it out?

There really isn’t any straightforward answer to when it’s best to let your baby cry it out, but it’s still a pressing question on many a parent’s mind.

What does ‘crying it out’ mean?

The ‘crying it out’ method is based on the presumption that falling asleep is a skill that babies can master by themselves if you give them the opportunity to do so. The idea continues by believing a baby gets used to your rocking or nursing them to fall asleep and then relies on it when they wake up in the middle of the night. Thus, waking up in the middle of the night without rocking, cradling or nursing, will startle your baby and they won’t be able to fall asleep naturally. The aim of this approach is allowing your baby to soothe themselves to sleep, so they can do so when they wake up at night or during a nap.

How long should I leave my child alone?

For most parents, the ‘crying it out’ method is a tool of last resort. Nobody wants to sit, waiting and listening to their baby cry, without doing anything about it. It’s human instinct to want to comfort and protect a crying baby, which is why this method roves too hard for many parents. This method, however, works for some. For others, it doesn’t work at all.

This is a BIG TOPIC. There are certainly lots of opinions about the ‘cry it out’ method. If however, the ‘cry it out’ method is beginning to interest you, here are a few ways to start:

First night: Leave for three minutes the first time, five minutes the second time, and 10 minutes for the third and all subsequent waiting periods.

Second night: Leave for five minutes, then 10 minutes, then 12 minutes.

Try making the intervals longer on each subsequent night.

As a parent, it’s important to keep in mind that you can choose any length of time that you are comfortable with, as well as if you are comfortable with the ‘crying it out’ method at all. Parents usually learn by trial and error, so if you try the ‘cry it out’ method and find it doesn’t work for you and your baby, that’s also perfectly fine. Who knows, once you find your groove and what works best for you, you might even start advising other Mums about what you’ve learned.